This weekend we will have a office rearrangement. Yes, again. It usually happens that around the end of the five year term plan, all workers in the research institute where I work are reorganized, which means we move from one office to another. Which means, physically, move from a room to the opposite one, or to the next one, or to a higher floor. Sometimes this maneuver affects the entire department, sometimes just a few groups. So, since we love pack and unpack, this time we will move more than once, at intervals, so that we cause as little chaos as possible….they say.

First, a server room is transformed into a office room (no news about the fate of the servers sitting in there), and half of our group is relocated here. Then, our current room, is refilled with technicians form other sections, and at the same time a wall separating out office and the one after is dismantled. Result: a long, very long office space where leaders, technicians, researchers and coordination people are happily and noisily joined together.

After this, another lab room is transformed into office space, so that those poor ones who were relocated to the former server room are now moved here. Leaders occupying a room in between, and definitely too big for them, are moved to the smaller one just vacated, and finally after proper remake, the rest of my group will park in this latter room.

This whole shuffling affects me this weekend. It means that the moving company (yes, in Japan you always call a moving company so that they take care of also setting up the rooms following a predefined design) will take over on Saturday what we are supposed to leave, pack and label, including desk and chair, on Friday. Now, it just happens that this Friday we have a one day meeting we all have to prepare for..I just say that the poster I am presenting tomorrow is far away from completion, and even farer from printing…..

Timing is simply a disaster, but also, other times won't be better anyway.

The solution for my moving problem then is: shred all old papers and notes, and dump the rest of my belongings in a box. This time the laptop goes home with me and the desktop PC says on my desk waiting to be moved. That's done. Tomorrow before leaving I seal the box, label everything and enjoy the weekend.

Oh, and the day after I get that sofa delivered home and I will have to assemble it…..relaxing time it is.

In two weeks comes the Year of the Snake. According to the Chinese astrology, the snake is also a positive animal sign, since it resembles a dragon, the most important and most positive sign of the whole zodiac, and since it comes right after that. So, as the year of the dragon is a good one, a sprinkle of that luck falls into the year of the snake, too. There is an aura of reverence around the snake, as well as a pinch of cautiousness towards the ones born in this year, because a snake is also paired with evil, it can silently approach a prey and kill it.

Now, snakes are those of very few animals that are massively present in symbolism and mythology of many cultures and in many religions, if not all, and this alone can already give an idea of how powerful the image it conveys is. In christianity, it is evil, the devil instigating to sin, whereas in other religions is a symbol of fertility. A snake meant also eternity, and that is due to the fact that a snake was believed to survive death when its intact curled skin was found on the ground with no traces of a body around. The Egyptians believed snakes were the origin where the sun Ra came from, and in Sumeric culture it was believed snakes had healing powers.

Mythology has got another deal of serpentine load, mainly connected to the origin of life and every thing, like Indian, Greek or Chinese mythology. Another common belief was that reptiles could be the connection with the underworld, because they tend to hide in cracks and holes in the ground. Often, too, reptilian figure and divinity coexist, where gods and goddesses have snake heads or bodies, all to emphasize the importance and the great influence this animal had in all civilizations.

Anyway, the main picture here is that snakes are intriguing, intelligent and at the same time evil, fearful. The opportunistic and calculating nature of the snake can be extrapolated from the tale about the order of the zodiac animal signs in Chinese horoscope. It is said, the 12 signs were ordered based on the quickest animal to cross a river; the faster, the higher in the zodiac position. So, the snake, to compensate for its difficulties in motility, paired with the horse during the race to, then, jump right before the arrival in front of the horse and scare it away so to be able to make it as sixth. Tell me about circumvention…

So, now it seems that thanks to the influence from the year of the dragon, year 2013 is considered a good year in all aspects and for all signs, more or less, so get ready (and, personally, I really want this year to be positive for real, as I would have one thing or two to say about the previous one…) and start working on that list of resolutions, the new year is coming!

A hypothetical novel with me as a protagonist can start this way, recalling Paulo Coelho. Today I was taking advantage of the warm hours of the day to take a walk and breath some fresh air in, as I spent the whole weekend at home, so I went by the river, I sat and wept. I don't exactly know the reason why I did so, I am not particularly sad, not particularly ecstatic, not particularly nostalgic, not particularly worried, I am a bit of all of the above together.

Perhaps this is because I feel big pressure on me, a mix of responsibilities….Responsibility. A heavy word, a word that makes grown-up, that frightens.

In the past year this word has often resonated loudly in my head to be heard, to be taken seriously. Until now I had fought its insistence, I pretended not to hear, not to see…until now. But one can't ignore responsibilities forever. Not only because at some stage the noise they make is unbearable, but also because eventually the day one can't but get along with them comes.

Today I was reliving the past, like it happens in similar circumstances, and I was thinking that, until not so long ago everything was clear to me, I had decided upon a few things, every thing was following its course and I knew where I was going. Now I am not that sure about the route to follow, or if the route I am following is the right one. I don't even know where I want to go. I want to go home, pull the plug, but, then, I ask myself where home is….I feel home here, at the same time I feel that home is in Sicily, and I feel home in Melbourne, I feel homeless, stateless, and citizen of the world at times…so, where to go? Maybe the answer is right the riverbank, symbol of a refuge, a quiet and isolated spot where to stop, take a breath, perhaps wait until the night comes and talk to the full moon, low on the horizon, reddish and round.

So, well, yes, I feel the pressure of important choices, directions to follow and roads walked: a doctorate, a stay in Japan (have I ever thought about permanent residency?), emphasize the work aspects against the rest, consider the factor age, which only increases….alright, perhaps all this brain squeeze is just a natural process with the coming of the thirties. Or, ah, maybe, is my wisdom teeth pushing and torturing my gums, giving me stellar headaches so that I am not capable of thinking anymore…

The next months will be intense, a lot of work, the Chinese new year to come, a doctoral course, friends visiting from Europe, a contract to sign, a new era to begin and -strong hope- a couple of weekends up in the mountains with the company of my loved snowboard. Bella luna, convey positive vibes to me, pelase!

Last week it snowed. It was the first time in 2013, it was abundant, so much that even now piles of frozen snow sit by the roads and everywhere else it was not walked over. It was like being hit on the neck, to go from the bikini to the snow jacket…..

Fortunately when it snowed it was a national holiday, at least we didn't have to go out and being slapped by the strong winds. I haven't seen so much snow, in all my six years in Japan, I mean, never so much snow had fallen, and never lasted more than overnight. This time, instead, winds were blowing flakes in all directions, and houses, streets, trees, everything were quickly covered by a white coat. I was watching the snow growing on the ground from my window, I was watching the prints left by passers by and cars and bicycles tracing parallel lines, and I was concerned about my plants on the balcony, sure that they won't have survived the frost. Surprisingly, they made it.

I was about to go out, sink in the snow up to my ankles, leave my footprints, capture the reality suddenly turned black and white, catch the stillness of the whole, listen to the silence. But I saw the snow flakes being blown everywhere, as a proof of how strong the wind was, so I had to give up and watch the show from home.

The day after it was a careful walk, like tightrope walkers, to avoid falling on the slippery layer of ice, as no one had taken care of shoveling the snow when it was still soft….how did some Japanese women do to wear high heels on that day, it is still an unresolved mystery.

On my way back from Melbourne I stopped for one last time, for a day and a half, in KL, one of the most beaten destinations but one that will be archived from now on, with a big difference: for the first time there, I was alone, without travel mates, without company. It was somehow a suffered stop, my mind took me right there where my body didn't want to go, and even the hotel spa treatments were useless to keep my thoughts from running around.

I had the great idea to get a 5-star stay, a place with as many amenities as possible, and centrally located in order to be close to everything. My room was spacious, comfortable, well designed and high enough to be able to have a glimpse of a city view, and there I spent most of my time, resting and watching TV. The rooftop pool was semi-open, with a stunning view of the Petronas Towers, and because of the unstable weather this time of the year I could swim my laps with a bit of sun and a bit of rain…when it rained it looked like you could be out in the jungle under a waterfall. Nice. At night, the bar all around the pool gets lit up with dim lights, chatty and happy guests animate its tables, the DJ of the day plays the sounds and the atmosphere gets warmed up. Skybar, this is its name, is a valid starting point for any night out in town, have a look there in case you happen to be in KL.

I couldn't miss the usual spa appointment for the classic oil massage, which unfortunately wasn't effective entirely: the masseuse had cold hands!!!!This is a detail that compromises the whole massage things, they should know this at Shangri-La…but anyway, I have so much tension on my shoulders and neck that I would need a long, aiming, repeated and deep massage…machine gun style, so to speak.

Luck was with me, though, for a little, and I happened to meet a work connection who happened to be in town just by chance, so that at least I had company for a few hours and I could stop thinking…many thanks!

On the other hand, I could have a more direct experience -although short- with the city and its streets, points of interest…and transport: the Chinese taxi driver thinks he's smart and to take me to my destination invents the old story of the broken meter so that he can slap me with a silly fare….poor old thing, he doesn't know I know all of those scams! Same thing with the Malay driver who wants to drive me all the way to the airport for a fantastic double fare just because it is a Sunday….nope, thanks. I played the card of sympathy and in the end he agreed on a gift fare. And, because I am on vacation and I happen to treat myself only once a year, I want to take the luxury of an easy ride to the terminal, even at the cost of some extra ringgit…which was nothing anyway.

KL like other South East capitals is growing fast and growing high, the urban landscape is bigger and bigger and residence buildings pop up there where it once was forest. I was paying attention to the fact that it looks different every time I go, it changes character and profile…if only people could learn to be less oppressive! While in Japan they bow, unroll the sacred mantra of welcoming salutation to the customer, use a respectful tone all the time, listen carefully to every word to make sure to understand the request and satisfy it fully (or otherwise they've got the sacred mantra of apology ready), in Malaysia they nearly pay attention to the person, or else they leave customers in drunkenness of words giving them no choice but follow, they are loud and speak fast, very often they don't give the client what they've asked for, repeatedly asked for…

Old and new, poor and rich mix well in KL, it is hard to state when one begins and the other ends. Who know's how living there is. Who knows…

Many of us travelers, independent, rebel souls don't fit the stereotypes. When we go back home to visit our parents we get all itchy and scratchy just three or four days after our arrival. First day is a great celebration, say hello to every one, stuff our faces with food we've been missing lots, endless hours of rejuvenating sleep. Second day is going out to see relatives. Third day is friends day. Fourth day is when parents start with their I-know-what-my-child-wants routine and that's when things precipitate: parents! We are not the same person who left 10/15 years ago, and no, we have never liked sleeping in a pitch dark room.....never mind, they have their own ideas about us, and won't change.

The perfect parent-child relationship for us is the one that allows the two generations to see each other for just a few days, at regular intervals of, say, 3 to 4 months.

That would be ideal, of course, but not all the times practically possible.

To make a quite controversial comparison, it is said that a big quantity of venom will certainly kill you in one go, while regular intake of small doses of the same poison makes you stronger and immune...

Computer and office left behind, sending of the documents for the next employment archived, baggage closed and with the passport in one pocket, eventually I made it to reach my family who was living a festive time since weeks…

Mum and dad, more than anyone else, couldn't wait, although I reckon they were also busy with their reports about their trip to Sydney to be really sitting there hand in hand and wait for my arrival.

I let them hanging out till the very end, but not because of a fancy or spite, but simply because I had to prepare well to the following two weeks with just relatives and parents. At my arrival I was collected by friends with whom I spent hours catching up on the latest happenings, and glass after glass, a sparkling red shiraz, Tokyo's grey and cold days faded away while Melbourne's warm and bright ones became more vivid.

So, how did it go? I guess well, even with such a family overdose, I went to embrace summer and a tan (and I applied generous amounts of high protection factor sunscreen). Actually, in these days I feel for the Aussies as they are facing extreme weather conditions with too high temperatures and fires..people, stay safe, cut the grass in your gardens and have a tank of water handy in case of emergencies!

Anyway, back to us, the two austral weeks were made of food, food, food and more food. I have no better definition. It is known that with Sicilian families, especially in holiday seasons and with guests, all most important events evolve around the dining table. And also, how to renounce to Australian barbecues! Nope. Even when they are every second day. No, no.

The slow days were beaten by breakfast, jog at a park nearby, pool and tan, lunch, again pool and tan, walk, dinner, drink, bed. Some days had variations to the main theme, like Christmas and New Years…three days around the Nativity of deadly gorging with the excuse of family reunions, Santa's turn ups, a rainfall of presents, and two other days at the end of the year of hellish food marathon. At any time, any circumstance the employment of means and resources to carry the guests around the city, out and about was massive. But, at least, we all saw each other often. Dammit!

The young and beautiful girls, we went to watch the countdown in the city, were we patiently waited for midnight to come together with thousands of other people and then we watched the fireworks at the bay…like this, a simple and emotional thing at the same time.

I close the vacation with giving myself another afternoon with an ex-colleague of mine and Charlie the cat, a small mental and body reset needed after the long, full-on family days. Still, it is not yet time to go back to the cold hemisphere, not just yet…something else is waiting for me. What, will be revealed later.

2- So many, but so many Christmas present I got! So many that didn't fit in my luggage.

3- The affection from this rediscovered chunk of family, their smiles, everyone's availability even from those who are not blood-related, their hugs….all of this is priceless, is emotions, and reminds me that little is needed to be happy with the people we love and who love us.